TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says there’s no reason for a financially troubled Topeka hospital to close because a California nonprofit group is interested in taking it over.
Brownback told reporters Wednesday that Prime Healthcare Foundation is a legitimate potential buyer for the 378-bed St. Francis Health hospital in Topeka.
The governor said other options for keeping St. Francis open could emerge. The rival Topeka-area Stormont Vail Health system also has expressed an interest.
The owner of St. Francis is Denver-based SCL Health. It has said it will stop operating St. Francis this summer whether it has a buyer or not but is willing to donate the hospital to another organization.
St. Francis’ problems have reignited a debate over expanding the state’s Medicaid program under the federal Affordable Care Act.
SEDGWICK COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Sedgwick County continue to search for a suspect who escaped from police.
Just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police had 35-year-old Jose L. Cruz in custody. He was wanted for an alleged domestic sexual assault, according to Sgt. Woodrow during Wednesday’s online media briefing.
Prior to taking him to jail, he began to complain of chest pain and was transported to St. Francis Hospital.
While receiving treatment, Cruz escaped from his hospital room.
Security cameras indicated he left the hospital in an unknown direction, according to Woodrow.
Cruz is described as Hispanic, 6 foot 3 inches tall, weighs approximately 200 pounds with brown. He was last seen wearing a red shirt and black pants.
In additional to the assault, Cruz is wanted on three bench warrants for criminal damage to property, receiving stolen property and possession of marijuana.
Anyone with information on Cruz is asked to call 911 or police.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in south central Kansas are looking for a suspect who escaped Wichita police custody just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday while at St. Francis Hospital.
Jose L. Cruz, 35, is described as Hispanic, 6 foot 3 inches tall, weighs approximately 200 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.
Cruz is wanted on three warrants. If you know his whereabouts, please contact 911.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for stealing mail while working as a mail carrier.
The U.S. attorney’s office says 34-year-old Gary Yenzer, of Derby, was sentenced Wednesday for one count of theft of U.S. mail.
Investigators learned Yenzer looked for birthday and anniversary cards while delivering mail last year in rural Sedgwick County. Prosecutors say he kept the cash he removed and sold some of the gift cards for cash, but he did not use the gift cards for fear of them bring traced to him.
SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating three suspects on child endangerment charges.
Just after 2:30 April 14, police responded to a report of two children playing in the street in the 1500 Block of Roach Street in Salina, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester. Neither child had shoes and one child had no pants.
Offices found a five-year-old and a three-year-old outside the residence and Duncan Norman 19, Salina, asleep inside.
Norman was in charge of the children while the parents were at work, according to Forrester.
Murphy
The children’s mother, Charolette Everhart, 43, Salina, works between 60-80 hours per week and the father, James Murphy, 34, was working in Tescott.
The children were taken into protective custody and a County Attorney reviewed the incident.
Following an investigation and review, the County Attorney issued a warrant for Norman, Everhart and Murphy. They were arrested Tuesday.
Forrester said due to the condition of the house, it was deemed unfit.
Name: Norman,Duncan Ross Charges: Endangering a child Endangering a child
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A former psychologist for a Wichita high school has been sentenced to three years of probation after more than 14 pounds of marijuana were found in the trunk of her car as she and her husband returned from Colorado.
Shelly Moore, 46, was sentenced Monday in Saline County. Jurors found the former Wichita Southeast High School psychologist guilty in February of charges that included possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
A deputy found the marijuana during a December 2015 traffic stop on Interstate 135. An affidavit says Moore told authorities she thought they had a personal-use amount. She said they’d texted a friend whose husband was dying of cancer as they drove back.
Jake LaTurner was sworn in today as the 40th Kansas State Treasurer-Photo office of Kansas Governor
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas state Sen. Jake LaTurner has been sworn in as the new state treasurer.
LaTurner took the oath of office Wednesday from Kansas Supreme Court Justice Caleb Stegall in a ceremony at the Statehouse. Dozens of family, friends and legislative and political colleagues watched.
The 29-year-old Pittsburg Republican was appointed last week by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback to replace former Treasurer Ron Estes.
The 60-year-old Estes won a special congressional election in the 4th District in south-central Kansas after fellow Republican Mike Pompeo was appointed CIA director.
LaTurner will serve the remainder of Estes’ four-year term as treasurer and plans run for the office in 2018.
Republicans in LaTurner’s former legislative district in southeast Kansas will pick a new senator Sunday to serve until a special election next year.
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors have dismissed charges against one of three Kansas men accused in an Illinois contract-killing plot.
The conspiracy to commit capital murder case was dropped Tuesday against 23-year-old Alex Karcher.
Assistant Saline County attorney Amy Norton says a decision about whether to refile the case will be made after he returns to Illinois to face drug charges.
The Illinois indictment says Karcher and four others stored marijuana at a rental home and intended to distribute it.
Meanwhile, two men remain charged in the contract-killing plot. Carbondale, Illinois, officer Trey Harris was wounded during the same time frame in which the men are accused in a criminal complaint of agreeing to travel to the state to kill three other men. No one was killed.
